Payroll audit exposes 14,000 ghost workers – Finance Minister

The Minister of Finance, Dr. Cassiel Ato Forson, has revealed that a nationwide payroll audit has uncovered major irregularities in Ghana’s public sector salary system.

The audit, covering all 16 regions and completed 91% so far by the Ghana Audit Service, found over 14,000 workers whose employment could not be verified, alongside 53,307 individuals who are no longer active staff, such as retirees, reassigned, terminated, on unpaid leave, or even deceased but are still receiving government salaries.

Presenting the 2025 Mid-Year Budget Review in Parliament on July 24, 2025, Dr. Forson emphasised the seriousness of these findings.

He disclosed that the Audit Service expects to recover at least GHS150.4 million in unearned salaries paid to these separated employees during 2023 and 2024 alone.

Describing the situation as alarming, the Finance Minister stressed the urgent need to tighten payroll management and prevent further leakages.

He announced plans to strictly enforce monthly payroll validation processes and warned that sanctions would be applied against anyone found violating salary payment procedures in the future.